


Mud!

by MagicalStranger13



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 00:26:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6589327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalStranger13/pseuds/MagicalStranger13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a rambunctious Briar Prince gets covered in ant bites, what can his father do to make it better?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mud!

**Author's Note:**

> Just another short, little Briar King and baby Bog oneshot I got the urge to write. Please bear with me on the size ratio issue of the movie goblins to insects!

“I told you to stay away from that ant bed, didn’t I?”  Griselda scolded as she stomped through the brush, tugging her four year old son along by the hand. 

The tiny Briar Prince whimpered and scratched at his face and chest with his free hand.  The softer skin of his cheeks, neck, under-arms, calves, and feet were dotted with red bumps, and there were quite a few more in between his scales. 

Bog always liked to play with creepy crawlies, but despite his mother’s warnings, he’d wandered too close to a fire ant pile and before he knew it, a small army of scouts and workers were skittering up his legs and back.  By the time they started biting, they were all over him, and he’d screamed bloody murder as his little game went from ticklish fun to burning painful in a blink.  

Hearing her son’s cries, Griselda had rushed over and swatted the bugs off as best she could before picking Bog up and dunking him in a nearby stream to get the rest.  Bog hated being wet and had fussed and sobbed the whole time, but once he got out, there was a _bigger_ problem: 

The multiple stings swelled up and started itching like crazy.  Luckily, Briar, who’d been sharpening his claws in a tree overhead, shouted some instructions down below to his queen and now she and Bog were tromping through the Dark Forest, following after him, wherever he’d flown off to. 

Griselda was getting frustrated.  The muggy heat, Bog’s whining, and the slap of twigs against her front was really taking a toll on her nerves.  And _where_ in the _hell_ did Briar go?!  She’d lost sight of him almost ten minutes ago!

“BRIAR!  WHERE ARE YOU?!”  She yelled, finally stepping into a sort of clearing. 

“Down here!”

The voice had come from a nearby pit.  All the way at the bottom, sitting waist deep in a pool of dark brown, sloshy mud, was Briar.

“This is shallow enough.”  He said, reaching up towards his wife and son.  “Hand ‘im tah me.”

Griselda peered over the edge of the pit and kicked a slimy, wet leaf off of her toes with a gag. 

“Ick, does he really _have_ to take a mud bath?”

Even though she was a goblin, she’d _never_ been a fan of getting filthy.   

“It’s the best thing fer skin irritations, an’ with his scales, this’ll make sure every last spot gets covered.  Trust me.”

“Ugh…… _fine_ ,” his wife sighed, “but he’s staying outside with you until _all_ of it dries and flakes off.”

“Ye can’t jus’ bar me from mah own castle!”

“Oh, _yes_ I can!  I’m not letting you two get our home all dirty!”

“No’ _this_ again!  What do ye _care_ , anyway?  Thah servants clean it up, no’ _yoo_!”

“That’s not the point!  I don’t want-!”

“Mommy!”  Bog wailed.  “It _itches_!”

“BOG, _STOP_ ALL THA’ BLUDY _CRYIN’_!”  Briar roared.  “AN’ QUIT _SCRATCHIN’_ YERSELF!”

The toddler flinched at his father’s angry voice and dropped his free hand to his side.  Nothing moved, except for his slightly trembling lower lip.  His mother, planted her fist on her cocked hip and glowered at her husband, tapping her foot.

“Alright, alright!”  Briar grumbled.  “We’ll wait outside.”

“Thank you, dear!”

“Yeah, yeah.  Jus’ gimme thah boy!”

To Bog’s credit, he stayed quiet as his mother lowered him into his father’s arms.  Once Briar had him, he settled the prince into the mud between his legs.

“Sit still.”  Briar ordered as his son squirmed a bit, unused to the colder temperature of the sludge.

“I’ll see you in a few hours.”  Griselda said as Briar began to scoop up handfuls of mud and pour them over Bog’s shoulders and back. 

Briar nodded curtly to her as she turned and left for the castle, practically skipping and whistling at the fact that she now had a child-free afternoon.

Bog shivered a bit but didn’t make a sound as his father began to scrub the mud over his arms and legs.  Mindful of his claws, Briar made sure to work the ooze under each and every one of his son’s scales to reach the bitten flesh underneath.  Eventually, once he got used to it, Bog found the mud to be rather fun, and he splashed his hands in it as his father spread more across his stomach, chest, and neck. 

By the time Briar was massaging the stuff into Bog’s plated scalp, the prince was giggling and twitching his four, stubby wing stalks in enjoyment.  Although, he did grimace when his father tilted his head and smeared even more mud on his face.  Thankfully, it was all done by that time, and when Briar pulled away, Bog blinked up at him with those bright, baby-blues and sneezed.  The sudden gush of air caused a bubble to form at Bog’s lips. 

“Are ye itchin’ anymore?”  Briar asked, popping the bubble with a single talon.

“No, daddy.”

“Good.”

Lifting Bog up firmly by his arms, Briar stood his son before him and glared sternly into his eyes.

“This better no’ happen again.  Ye _listen_ tah yer _mother_!  Do ye understand me, boy?” 

“Yes, s-sir.”

Satisfied after a few more tense seconds, Briar hoisted Bog up to nestle between his neck and shoulder and rose to his feet.  Shaking the mud from his wings, he took off out of the pit, and headed straight for home, dripping a trail of grime on the forest floor.

“Come on, let’s go take a walk on yer mum’s bathroom ceilin’.” 

.

.

.

_…1 hour later…_

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“ ** _BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR_**!!!”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed it! I apologize for it's length. Please leave a comment or a kudos! <3


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